Clinical Lead - Social Work

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora; Tauranga; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, Tauranga Hospital, is seeking an experienced Social Worker to join the Medical Wards as Clinical Lead. You will provide specialist Social Work knowledge while supporting high-quality practice across multidisciplinary teams.

Based in Tauranga, you will grow your leadership capability and contribute to service improvement and the development of Social Work practice, working alongside the Allied Health Leadership Team and the Professional Lead Social Work.

Qualifications

• Current registration with the Social Workers Registration Board and a current Annual Practising Certificate
• A minimum of five years experience as a registered Social Worker
• Advanced Social Work practice skills, ideally within an inpatient or medical setting
• Ability to triage, prioritise, and manage competing clinical demands
• Confidence working independently and within multidisciplinary teams
• Experience contributing to innovation, service improvement, and change initiatives
• Strong relationships with key clinical and service stakeholders
• Excellent communication, consultation, and relationship-building skills

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist Social Work knowledge within the Medical Wards at Tauranga Hospital.
• Support high-quality practice across multidisciplinary teams.
• Grow leadership capability and contribute to service improvement and the development of Social Work practice.
• Collaborate with Allied Health Leadership Team and Professional Lead Social Work.

Skills

Clinical leadership

Social Work leadership

Advanced Social Work practice

Triaging priorities

Independent working

Change initiatives

Communication skills

Relationship-building

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora – Tauranga, North Island

23h ago , from Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand

• Experience Tauranga living, with its harbour, thriving communities, and endless opportunities to enjoy life beyond work
• Full or part-time position, 0.8 1.0 FTE working Monday to Friday
• Take the next step in clinical leadership while helping shape high-quality Social Work practice across Tauranga Hospital

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

Bring your Social Work expertise to a role where clinical practice and leadership come together. Based within the Medical Wards at Tauranga Hospital, you will provide specialist Social Work knowledge while supporting high-quality practice across multidisciplinary teams. Working alongside the Allied Health Leadership Team and Professional Lead Social Work, this is an opportunity to grow your leadership capability while contributing to service improvement and the development of Social Work practice.

About the Team/Service/Location

Allied Health brings together experienced professionals working across Tauranga Hospital to provide coordinated, patient and whānau-centred care. As the Clinical Lead, you will work closely with Social Work colleagues, Team Leaders, the Professional Lead, and multidisciplinary teams, bringing specialist expertise and a strong clinical voice to the Medical Wards.

About You

An experienced Social Worker ready to extend your clinical leadership, you bring sound judgement, confidence, and a collaborative approach to complex practice. You enjoy supporting others, navigating competing priorities, and finder better ways to deliver care while remaining connected to frontline Social Work.

What you will bring:

• Current registration with the Social Workers Registration Board and a current Annual Practicing Certificate
• A minimum of five years experience as a registered Social Worker
• Advanced Social Work practice skills, ideally within an inpatient or medical setting
• Ability to triage, prioritise, and manage competing clinical demands
• Confidence working independently and within multidisciplinary teams
• Experience contributing to innovation, service improvement, and change initiatives
• Strong relationships with key clinical and service stakeholders
• Excellent communication, consultation, and relationship-building skills

Working for Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

Contact

If you have any questions about the role, please contact **********@tewhatuora.govt.nz